Current Final

Category: National

  • Pakistan to receive first shipment of Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine this week

    Pakistan is expected to receive its first shipment of the Oxford-Astrazeneca coronavirus vaccine by the end of this week under the COVAX program, Arab News has reported. The COVAX program is a global initiative to provide vaccines to countries lacking resources to procure or manufacture the vaccines on their own. 

    Quoting a top government official, the report said that Pakistan will receive the first shipment of 1.2 million doses of Oxford-Astrazeneca coronavirus vaccine on Friday.

    Through the COVAX vaccine facility, Pakistan has planned to vaccinate 20% of its population free of charge.

    As per, Rana Muhammad Safdar, director-general health at the Ministry of National Health Services, the first shipment will arrive from South Korea on May 7.

    “We are committed to vaccinating our maximum population as quickly as possible,” asserted Safdar.

    Pakistan’s vaccination drive began on March 10 with priority given to healthcare workers and senior citizens above 60. Later, vaccinations for those aged 50-59 were started on April 21. Meanwhile, registration for ages 40-49 started on April 27. You can register yourself by sending your CNIC number to 1166. Walk-in vaccinations are available for those aged 50 and above. As per the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), more than 2.5 million people have been vaccinated till now.

    Pakistan is experiencing a deadly third wave of Covid-19, with the positivity rate at an all-time high. According to the National Command and Operations Centre (NCOC), 3377 cases and 161 deaths were recorded in the country in the last 24 hours.

  • Nasa Earth releases satellite images of Hingol National Park

    Nasa Earth releases satellite images of Hingol National Park

    The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has shared satellite images of the Hingol National Park, located 120 miles from Karachi. The image was acquired in February this year.

    Read more – NASA shares picture of snow-covered Himalayan ranges from space

    Nasa Earth observatory describes Hingol Park with its “rocky terrain, mountain caves, and beautiful beaches” as “one of the natural wonders of Pakistan”.

    Hingol spans around 6,200 square kilometres (2,400 square miles) across three districts of the Balochistan Province: Lasbela, Awaran, and Gwadar,.

    The park is named after the Hingol River, which flows through this dry region year-round and is the longest in Balochistan. Before emptying into the Arabian Sea, the Hingol flows into an estuary that supports threatened fish, birds, and crocodiles. It is part of the largest national park for the protection of endangered species in the country. The park is also home to wild Sindh Ibex, Balochistan Urial, and Chinkara Gazelle.

    Located approximately 200 kilometers (120 miles) northwest of Karachi, Hingol National Park features several distinct ecosystems. In the north, it includes an arid subtropical forest, while dry, mountainous terrain covers the western portion.

    In the east, the park is renowned for a group of mud volcanoes that spew methane and mud instead of lava. Along the coast, Hingol includes caves, beaches, and a marine ecological zone that is home to dolphins, sea turtles, and mangroves. The water body in the image above is an ephemeral lake near Sapat Beach.

    The park also holds a significance amount for Hindu community because of the Hinglaj Mata Mandar located there.

  • ECP accepts Miftah Ismail’s plea for a vote recount

    ECP accepts Miftah Ismail’s plea for a vote recount

    The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Tuesday reserved the verdict on PML-N’s Miftah Ismail’s plea for a vote recount in the NA-249 by-poll. The ECP accepted Ismail’s request for a vote recount . All parties have been summoned to the RO’s office on May 6 for a vote recount.

    Ismail had written a letter to Chief Election Commissioner, seeking a vote recount in NA-249 after he lost the poll by 683 votes. PPP’s Mandokhel had won the NA-249 By-Election.

    A four-member commission of the ECP headed by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja heard the plea.

    PML-N’s counsel Salman Akram Raja in his argument stated that a large number of Form 45 were not duly signed by the presiding officers, while agents of PML-N were also not given Form 46. Raja demanded the ECP to initiate an inquiry on the irregularities surfaced in the Karachi by-poll.

    The PPP’s counsel Latif Khosa opposed the re-polling in the constituency and said that it is not enough to say that irregularities were made. “You should highlight where irregularities were reported,” Khosa added.

    After hearing from both sides, the chief election commissioner announced the judgement.

  • Man caught torturing lion cub on camera

    Man caught torturing lion cub on camera

    A man has been caught beating a lion cub on camera. In a video that is being widely circulated on social media, the man named Saad can be seen beating the young cub while dragging him with a chain. The cub’s heartwrenching cries can also be heard in the video.

    The video sparked outrage on social media with several prominent personalities including Fatima Bhutto demanding the cub be rescued by authorities. Lahore-based JFK Animal Rescue And Shelter has also urged the government to stop licensing wild animals to individuals privately, saying that every third person in Pakistan now owns a lion as a pet.

    The animal rescue service also initiated an online petition for this purpose and urged people to raise their voices for these animals. According to JFK, by owning a licence in Pakistan you can buy, sell or import lions and tigers and do whatever you want to do to them. In the recent past, multiple cases of animal abuse and violation have been reported.

    Read more – Wildlife dept recovers two lions from bathroom in a residential area in Multan

    The animal rights organisation also explained that lion and tiger owners, declaw them, beat them, cage them, take their teeth out and later use them for breeding where they open entire breeding farms and then sell the cubs for money.

    “Once anybody gets the license there is no check and balance, and every other person is allowed to do all sorts of evil things to these wild animals behind closed walls. Many also torture them for TikTok and social media videos,” reads the petition.

    “Many times lions are used as props and kept as slaves. People deprive them of their natural habitats and give them a miserable life. We have seen multiple cases of this abuse in a single year and now we want to deal with the root cause which is these licences, these licenses should be cancelled and there should be a complete ban on owning wild animals as pets,” it adds.

    Read more – Lion manhandled during Maryam Nawaz’s rally rescued by Punjab Wildlife Dept

    JFK also alleged that this is not the first time Saad tortured a lion. They claimed that there are other videos of his abusing his lions also.

    Fatima Bhutto also requested her followers to sign the petition and urged the government to rescue such wild animals from captivity.

    Meanwhile, lawyers Ahmad Pansota and Hassaan Khan Niazi have taken up the case and have promised to file a petition before the court on the matter.

  • Electoral reforms proposed for fair and transparent elections: Govt

    Electoral reforms proposed for fair and transparent elections: Govt

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry and Adviser to Prime Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan, in a press conference, shared details of the government’s plans for electoral reforms for free and transparent elections within the country.

    Standing Committee on Parliamentary Affairs has proposed 49 amendments to the Election Amendment Bill 2020. Awan said that the reforms shall be put forth before all stakeholders, including civil society, media and Bar councils.

    Fawad Chaudhry stressed that the government wants to get the reforms passed from parliament through consensus. Chaudhry said that if the opposition parties are not ready to support the proposal for the electoral reforms, it will delay both political and democratic development within the country.

    https://twitter.com/FawadPTIUpdates/status/1389146375192039426

    Yesterday, Shehbaz Sharif had spurned down the proposal of using an electronic voting system (EVS). He was responding to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s tweets on electoral reforms.

    PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif rejected PM’s proposal to use electronic voting machine. In a statement posted on Twitter, Shehbaz said, “Electronic voting system is rejected by the whole world. Pakistan Election Commission (ECP) has declared it unworkable. Such important national tasks cannot be performed at the request or order of an individual.”

    He further added that electoral reforms are a rather sensitive issue. “Electoral reforms can only take place after consultation of all parties, in the light of public opinion and through consensus.”

    “Instead of electronic voting, the government should worry about a ruined economy, skyrocketing inflation, unemployment and the ever increasing mortality rates,” Shehbaz Sharif added.

  • ‘PM had a good meeting with my friends’: Jahangir Tareen

    ‘PM had a good meeting with my friends’: Jahangir Tareen

     Disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Jahangir Tareen on Monday said that lawmakers of the ‘Tareen group’ had a fruitful meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan. Tareen said his group expressed their concerns and were assured of justice. He said that PM has assured them that he would himself look into the case and justice will be done. Pro-Tareen lawmakers met PM Imran last week.

    Tareen also denied being in touch with either the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) or the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

    The Tareen group will decide on what course of action to take after Eid. Senator Ali Zafar was tasked by the PM to ensure that a fair inquiry is being conducted in Tareen’s case and there is no discrimination. Sources say that Senator Ali Zafar has met FIA and the investigating team as well as Tareen’s lawyers and accountants to hear their side of the story. After Eid, once Zafar completes his inquiry, the JKT group will decide how to move forward.

    The PTI leader and his son Ali Tareen were granted an extension in bail from a Lahore banking court in the sugar scandal case. The court ordered the FIA to complete its investigation as soon as possible and submit an inquiry report. Tareen said that the probe against him had been going on for a year and he has provided hundreds of thousands of documents to the court. He said he has never run away from investigation but believes that there is no truth to this case.

  • Politicians, journalists mark #WorldPressFreedomDay

    World Press Freedom Day is observed every year on May 3 and this year’s theme is ‘Information as a Public Good’. To mark the day, politicians, journalists and other key figures have stepped forward to call for freedom of press and media.

    United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres was also among those who marked this day. In his message, Guterres urged all governments to do everything in their power to support a free, independent and diverse media.

    Politicians and journalists from Pakistan including Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry and Special Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab on Information and culture Firdous Ashiq Awan also shared messages to mark the day and paid rich tributes to journalists.

  • VIDEO: PM Imran drives in without protocol, interacts with street vendors in Islamabad

    VIDEO: PM Imran drives in without protocol, interacts with street vendors in Islamabad

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan paid a surprise visit to different areas of Islamabad and interacted with the general public, specifically with small vendors on the streets.

    https://youtu.be/qYAt03AbuJc

    According to the statement issued by the PM Office, “PM Imran Khan drove to public places in Islamabad without any security and protocol. The PM visited G-11 Markaz and talked to vendors.”

    On his visit, he asked about the condition of business amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He instructed them (vendors) to follow the standard operating procedures (SOPs) issued by the government to curb the spread of COVID-19.

    Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan at street vendor stall

    In addition, PM drove the car in the capital because he also wanted to see the arrangements done by the local administration for Ramzan.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan driving around in ICT to check arrangements done by local administration

    People expressed happiness on seeing the premiere among them without any protocol. Besides, PM visited the Sewerage Plant I-9 and Korang Cricket Ground in the federal capital.

    PM visited the Sewerage Plant I-9 and Korang Cricket Ground in the federal capital.

    Amid the pandemic, business activities and routine life is disrupted. The government of Punjab has also imposed a smart lockdown in all major cities of Punjab.

    Pakistan reported 4,414 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking the country’s Covid-19 tally to 8,29,933.

    The country’s death toll climbed to 18,070 after 113 more people succumbed to the deadly disease.

  • Fact Check: Is Maulana Tariq Jamil selling nara’s for Rs 550?

    Claim: Mualana Tariq Jamil’s company MTJ is selling nara’s for 550 per piece

    Fact: MTJ is not selling any nara’s

    Just days after Maulana Tariq Jamil’s flagship store opened its doors in Karachi, news of the brand selling nara’s (drawstrings) at a price of more than Rs 500 started circulating on social media with some people criticizing the religious scholar for selling overpriced stuff.

    However, according to a press release circulating on social media, the brand has denied the news of selling drawstrings.

    “It has come to our notice that MTJ- Tariq Jamil is being accused of selling drawstrings (nara) for Rs.550 apiece,” reads the statement.

    “We would like to clarify that the news is fake.”

    “We do not manufacture drawstrings (nara) and our stores and website have never placed such article for sale,” the statement added.

    “Please beware of spreading false news and help us report those who are involved in this malpractice.”

    Maulana Tariq Jamil was criticized for starting his own clothing brand despite being a religious cleric after which he shared a video message on his social media accounts to explain the reason for launching his own brand.

    “Since 2000, I had been thinking about starting a business for my religious activities, especially to run a madrassa. During COVID-19’s lockdown, I have the opportunity to put that idea into practice.”

    “That was my intention [to make the madrassas self sufficient] and a few of my friends collaborated with me, after which we launched a brand with my name,” he added.

    VERDICT: FALSE

  • PM Imran asks for electoral reforms, again

    Prime Minister Imran Khan took to Twitter on Saturday to say that his government wants to “bring transparency and credibility to our elections”. The NA-249 by-election has become controversial after rigging allegations against the winning Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

    In a series of tweets, the PM said: “All parties are crying foul and claiming rigging. The same happened in Daska and in Senate elections. In fact, apart from the 1970 election, in every election claims of rigging have raised doubts over the credibility of election results.”

    He further added, “In 2013 there were 133 NA constituencies’ disputes before election tribunals. We asked for an examination of just 4 constituencies’ votes & in all 4 riggings was established. But it took us a yr & a 126-days dharna to get a Judicial Commission that found over 40 faults in the conduct of elections.” PM added that unfortunately no substantive reforms were put in place. He tweeted that the use technology Electronic Voting Machines “are the only answer to reclaim credibility of elections”.

    Prime Minister Imran Khan has now invited the Opposition to sit with the government and select from EVM [Electronic Voting Machines] models that are available to us in order to “restore our elections credibility”.

    The prime minister said that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government is determined. “We will put in place reforms in our electoral system through the use of technology to bring transparency and credibility to our elections and strengthen our democracy”.

    Miftah Ismail writes to ECP

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Miftah Ismail has written a letter to the chief election commissioner seeking a vote recount in the NA-249 by-election held on April 29 in Karachi.

    In the letter, Miftah wrote: “We did not receive results from more than 30 polling stations. We have serious concerns about the behaviour of some presiding officers.” He also added that many Form 45s were not signed and also asked for forensic audit of Form-45 with Whatsapp/RTS. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has fixed the hearing for voting recount on May 4.